Chapter 7: Am I losing it?

"We have to get him, it's the end of the mountain, no more running left. Do you have any plan how to do it Noah?" Nandaka asked, "something maybe, the problem is those digital glasses he have on, I don't know what they are, but surely looks strange and weird to me" Noah said, "yeah you are right, maybe I should try and attack him from the side, and when he dodges me, take him down from his back" nandaka said, "well then it's time for us to go" Noah replies. Nandaka with his sword run towards the enemy. The enemy was somehow able to doge all the sword attack, even in a close combat, "Noah it's your turn now" nandaka yells, the enemy realizes about Noah and when Noah was just behind him, he does an instant black flip to dodge Noah's attack and to make it clash with the sword attacks, the enemy succeeds, nandaka eyes wide opened to suddenly see Noah be the his next sword's attack target, nandaka changes the swing of the sword's and Noah when trying to save himself, jumps on the side, losing his balance on the edge of the hill while taking a run to come back at his enemy, he falls down, along with the falling river, "NOAH….!!!" Nandaka shouts. Noah felt like he is just falling for too long now, while his vision getting concentrated from the blue-sky world to just a light and when he looks at it constantly, he realises he is not falling away from that light, but towards the light. As the strong white light came close, he felt sync in with the time. And as he approaches the light, Noah wakes off a dream panickily and found himself in someone's room. Amelie throws an apple on Noah, "have it, look like you need some energy" Amelie said. "Why the hell am I in your room" Noah asks Amelie, "well sir, because a friend cannot leave a friend in unconscious condition right on their porch. "Huh...passed out on the porch?" Noah thinking and filling his mind with thoughts. "Maybe, you can thank me or owe me one you know, for saving you" and before Amelie could finish, Noah jumps out of bed and leave her house in a jiffy "I got to go, sorry" Noah said while leaving. Its night time, Noah reaches his house, rushes in, tangles with her mom, "Noah... where were you?" Noah's mom asks, "just went to get some air today. I'm kind of hungry, do we have something?" Noah replies. "Yeah, food is in the kitchen, I'm going to sleep I had a long day today. Good night honey" Noah's mom yawns and went to her room. Noah takes his food, apparently have a meal without any thoughts in his mind related to the gaming world, he feels like he is zoned out, and not zoned out to somewhere else from the real world, but from somewhere to his real life, as he starts to eat, everything started fading, and when again he opens up his eyes, in front of him is one old man and Amelie's character from the game they were playing, soon he realises that he is still in the game with Amelie. (The researcher chuckles silently) don't worry, it happens sometimes, here, have this ayurvedic tea, you will feel relived" the researcher said and passes the tea cup to Noah. Noah drinks the tea and by the time he finishes it, he starts to lose control over his body, things were turning colourful and blurry, shapes of object changing, furniture transforming to animals, "what was it? What was in the tea, huh?" Noah asks with a blabbering but tense voice. "Nothing much, just a touch of life," said the researcher. Noah falls on his back and while his eyes were shutting down, he could see the researcher and Amelie standing over him and laughing while he faints away in pain. "It's all dark here, where even am I" Noah questioning to the darkness, he hears some voice "where is that sound coming from" Noah goes after the voice; "wake up, get up already Noah, Noah, can you hear me" Noah opens his eyes and finds himself with nandaka. It was the hill, where they were fighting, "what going on, is it real?" Noah asks Nandaka, "the person we were fighting, he pushed this needle sized tube inside your neck which trapped you in a loop, creating memories by stealing information from your nerves, but don't worry I have cut it out of you". "Ohh man, who was it anyway?" Noah asked, "don't know, might be trouble, might be the clan tests, we can't say anything, but the fact that he left us alive implies the second option, that he was sent to test you" Nandaka guess replies, "and I have failed it miserably, haven't I" Noah replies, "well, to be honest yes, but we got to get back home now, we will continue our training tomorrow. While returning to their place, they were in complete silence, Noah was just realizing that he thought that those scrolls he learnt from and his control over his root chakra is not just enough for people around here with so vast and unknown technology. He now at least knows what he has to learn ahead and what is the level of the game he is entering. Back at the house, Guru Nath was waiting for them for dinner, strangely no one talked much and especially about the incident that happened today. Nandaka on the way, explained Noah some things about Guru Nath, that how he doesn't like to hear failure and defeat of kind we faced today, he believes that a person shall hold enough knowledge about what he is committing, and they didn't want Guru Nath to have a weak opinion about Noah. After having dinner, Guru Nath and Nandaka left to sleep, but Noah couldn't sleep, he comes out to take some fresh air, takes some deep breathes. Maybe its just that time for him, where, there is a lot, like a lot, is happening in one's life, which might not be significant to others, but the ambitious goals, the painful trolls, some doubtful choices and willing so more; these things gets a person in a state where one meets the truth one needs, and Noah with so much on mind about his dad, about the game, his mental stress because of the game, his mom, doubtful that all the decision he stood up for were all wrong and now there is no going back, no chance to frown, so why not carry it on. Noah gets back inside and saw a shining light coming out from the passage, he tries to focus and look what it is but it starts to pinch in his eyes, he puts his hands in front of his eyes to block it and wakes up, the sunlight glazing on his face, it's a hot morning today. Noah wakes up realises he is again on his bed, "surely some senseful story behind how I got on my bed" Noah mumbles while getting of the bed, he gets down to the hall, "mom did you put me to bed again", Noah asks his mom, "and didn't I tell you I do not want to come into your room to find you like that ever again?" Noah's mom said, "don't stress it mom, I already have too much of other things to deal with, don't trouble yourself next time please" Noah leaves the house rudely, "you better not talk to me like this, you understand..." Noah's mom warning Noah while he overhears her and leaves the house slamming the door behind him. Deep feeling, tensed forehead, losing the mind, trying catching a breath, had to take the joint or my life would end; a panic attack strikes Noah all of a sudden, he is figuring out what it is about but maybe he is missing that most of the times its just empty. After finishing the joint in a park nearby and finally putting himself to a rest, he plugs in his earphones and continued his music while taking a walk to a super Mart not close to his home. He just wants his time now, he is over whelmed lately because of the game, his mixed feelings, the dark side of his life and the thing he calls as his 'purpose'. After some walk, he reaches the super Mart, gets himself an energy drink and while paying for it, he spots the poster of the game which he was playing with Amelie, he starts walking back to his home and texts Amelie that today he won't be able to join her to resume their game because he has to run some errands. After his drink, he feels ready to give his full potential again in the game. Noah's mom was leaving for work when he was walking in, "we need to talk" Noah's mom said to Noah while she leaves in a rush. Noah without wasting any time, quickly gets a warm shower and get back to the VR setup to train to his death today whole day and speed up his chances to get in a clan, otherwise he is just wasting his time and risking his mind and maybe his life too.